Hodgson: England Will Play to Win

England coach Roy Hodgson has no intention of playing for a draw and allowing Ukraine to take the initiative in their Euro 2012 clash, he said Monday, according to RIA Novosti.

England need one point from Tuesday’s game to reach the quarterfinals, while Ukraine must win.

“I`ve never really understood how you play for a draw,” Hodgson said, adding that to rely on qualifying with a draw risked turning England’s advantage into a weakness.

“I think to play for a draw is dangerous if it means allowing the opponents to have the initiative and you just try and camp somewhere deep in your half.”

“When you do that, you`re inviting them into your penalty area all the time.”

England could play more cautiously than usual to avoid jeopardizing their position, Hodgson suggested.

“If we`ve got an advantage then it is that the opponents have to take the risk the longer the game goes on and we`ll have opportunities on the counterattack,” he said.

The match could see Ukraine striker Andiry Shevchenko, 35, continue his record of playing for Ukraine in every one of their matches against England to date, although he may not feature due to a knee injury.

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